The Boat In The Backyard

One of the most incredible essays I've ever read in regards to the often testy relationship between fathers and sons appears on the Internet Monk's blog.

Mark Spencer honestly reveals the relationship he had with his dad, and how it was continuously strained by his Father's horrible depression. For anyone who's had to deal with that monster, you will find a lot in common with Mark's dad; I know I sure did.

Here's the first few lines of the essay:

When I was twelve years old, my father bought a small aluminum boat, just enough for two people to use for fishing in the local lakes. He put it in our backyard. It had a tiny motor that sat in our shed. He bought the boat so we could go fishing together, father and son. It was his dream, a father's dream that I can now relate to as I share ball games and movies with my own son.

The boat never took us fishing. In fact, it never got in the water. It remains there in the back yard, photographed by my memory, waiting for a fishing trip that would never happen. In my tendency to personify objects in my world, I picture that boat as eager and expectant, then confused, and eventually depressed. Its purpose- its joy?- was not to be fulfilled.

For the rest, please click here: The Boat In the Backyard

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